Healthy Meals for Brain Function

by Paula Martinac

The omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish support brain function.

Although it weighs only about 3 pounds, your brain uses between 20 percent and 30 percent of your body’s energy intake. When your brain doesn’t get its needed energy supply, you may feel symptoms such as depression, fatigue and fuzzy thinking. Long-term deficiency of brain-supportive nutrients may even lead to cognitive disorders such as memory loss and dementia. Eat regular meals and get the proper nutrients to support healthy brain function.

Nutrients for Brain Function

Chief among the nutrients that affect cognitive function are omega-3 fatty acids. In particular, the omega-3 fat known as docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, is essential to the proper working of synapses in the brain, allowing neurons to transmit signals to each other. DHA is found primarily in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring and sardines. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables are also vital to brain health. Produce now carries ORAC scores, which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, or antioxidant power. Foods with the highest ORAC ratings include all types of berries, black plums, cherries, avocados and oranges. In addition, the B vitamins may have positive effects on conditions associated with the brain and nervous system, including anxiety, depression, poor memory and Alzheimer’s disease. B vitamins are abundant in whole grains, leafy green vegetables, fish, eggs, nuts and beans.

Breakfast

A 2009 meta-analysis published in “Nutrition Research Reviews” found that eating breakfast is more beneficial to children’s cognitive function than skipping the first meal of the day. Moreover, the quality of breakfast foods affects students’ intellectual performance. Start your day off right with a spinach omelet served with whole grain toast and a half-cup of blueberries. Oatmeal topped with mixed berries and chopped walnuts also will support school and work performance and keep you full until lunch.

Lunch

A busy workday may find you forgoing lunch to meet a deadline or finish a project. But skipping lunch can have negative consequences, leading to blood sugar crashes in mid-afternoon that zap your energy and leave you unable to think clearly or work effectively. These crashes may also send you running to the vending machine for a quick fix from unhealthy snacks like candy bars or cookies. Even if you’re in a hurry, make time to eat lunch. A salad of mixed leafy greens topped with chickpeas, avocado and seeds, served with an orange on the side, makes a satisfying meal that also promotes healthy brain function. Alternately, try a tuna-fish sandwich on a whole-grain roll or bread, topped with leafy greens, to boost your brain power for the afternoon.

Dinner

If you make a point to eat a high-quality, satisfying breakfast and lunch, it’s less likely you will overeat at dinner. To support your brain function for your evening activities, start your dinner with a spinach salad topped with sliced strawberries. For the main course, enjoy 3 ounces of broiled or grilled salmon with a half-cup of quinoa salad made with chopped kale and dried berries. For dessert, treat yourself to a serving of sweet cherries and a few squares of dark chocolate; its flavonol content helps increase blood flow to the brain for as long as three hours.

What's your dietary preference?

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Fruit

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Fish

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Healthy fats

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Healthy fats

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Olive oil

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Broccoli

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Beef

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Halibut

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Almonds

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Broccoli

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About the Author

Paula Martinac holds a Master of Science in health and nutrition education from Hawthorn University, with an emphasis on healthy aging, cancer prevention, weight control and stress management. She is Board Certified in holistic nutrition and a Certified Food and Spirit Practitioner. Martinac runs a holistic health counseling practice and has written extensively on nutrition for various websites.

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